Council cools on $3 million Malibu Seafood pedestrian tunnel Play

The Malibu city council is having cold feet about building a $3 million pedestrian tunnel at Malibu Seafood. Council members last night said they are not sold on the concept.

There was a big public uproar four years ago when the city proposed putting in a pedestrian signal there. People complained that vehicles speed there and would be unable to stop for a red light. So the city council at the time voted for a tunnel.

The pedestrian tunnel would be right next to the ocean and would likely flood during high tides. It would be right next to a creek and subject to closure if the creek is running. A similar underpass at Zuma Creek is unusable. It would likely attract graffiti and vandals.

And it would be yet another beachfront bridge construction project under the busy highway. A similar project just up the beach at Solstice Creek is four years into its one-year construction period. Delays have been caused by spawning fish on the beach, Native American graves being dug up, and other construction problems.

Council members worry that even with the tunnel, pedestrians would still scramble across the highway unless there is a fence in the middle of the road.

Council member Doug Stewart:

"We have the issue about the undercrossing being flood hazard. People aren't gonna be able to use it during high tide. And then you have the issue of vandalism. So now we are talking about a three million exercise. And if we do that, we have to have a way to force people to utilize that undercrossing. Whether it's a fence or something on the median, it needs to be something to force people to use that undercrossing, rather than run across the highway and use the road as a shortcut."

The council last night told the city engineers they want to see different plans for ways to handle pedestrians crossing PCH at Malibu Seafood. And it appears that this city council is not buying the outcry from some vociferous opponents of the earlier plan for a pedestrian signal.

Yet to be heard from, of course, is Caltrans. After all, it's their highway.